It’s only a week since the World Cup ended, though it seems longer since the vuvuzelas fell silent and the world became a little more ordinary again. One of the upsides of coming home is that I was finally able to upload my last few vidblogs for the 1GOAL campaign.
On Tuesday 6 July I got changed into my suit at a petrol station near the airport and headed straight into meetings with President Zuma’s office. Tuesday 6 July
On Thursday I got the chance to go to Winnie Ngwekazi Primary School in Soweto and had a kickabout with Shaka Hislop, John Barnes and a group of 9-year-olds (this is work, honest). Thursday 8 July
On Sunday we finally got to the big education summit… here’s how it went: Final Day
And if you want to see all of 12-year-old Nthabiseng Tshabalala’s challenge to world leaders at the summit, here it is: Nthabiseng’s speech
The campaign goes on, with lots to do before the UN Millennium Development Goals summit in September. Keep up to date here.
Johannesburg, Sunday 11th July. 5.30 alarm call as I’m on the South African Broadcasting Corporation’s (SABC) ‘Weekend Live” at breakfast time to talk about the leaders’ summit later today, focused on getting an education for every child as a legacy of the World Cup. It’s the big moment for the 1GOAL campaign.
Exactly five years ago, about 10am on 2 July, 2005, I was standing in the Meadows in the centre of Edinburgh. The greyish sky had an uncertain look – like it could go either way – that matched my mood. For months we’d been urging people to assemble on this spot on this day for a mass rally that would be the climax of the Make Poverty History campaign, a few days ahead of the G8 summit of world leaders due to take place in Gleneagles. I walked around the field, watching marquees being erected and volunteers arrive in hi-vis vests. We had done our planning. Everything was ready. But would anyone come?
Just got this note from my colleague David Morley, who heads Save the Children in Canada and played a leading role in the movement to get the G8 focused on saving mothers’ and children’s lives at their summit last weekend in Muskoka. Hats off to David. I wanted to share his reflections.
With Nelson Mandela and 20,000 supporters, we launched the Make Poverty History campaign in Trafalgar Square that came to its climax five years ago as the G8 met in Gleneagles, Scotland. The G8 leaders made some big promises. So, five years on, how have they done?
11.30am, in half an hour the 1GOAL school bus sets off for the England / USA game. It won’t be a luxury ride for the next three hours, but it should have character…
I lead Save the Children’s global campaign, EVERY ONE. I also chair the 1GOAL GCE campaign committee.